ingalls



2 Shets Sheet L J. K. INGALLS.

Steam Heater.

' Patented Nov. 4, 1851.

J. K. INGALLS.

Steam Heater.

v ill-u.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. K. INGALLS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RADIATING-SURFACE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 8,487, dated November 4, 1851.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSHUA K. INGALLS, of the town of Bushwick, county of Kings, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and useful arrangement, for heat-ing and ventilating public. and private buildings or apartments of the same, vessels propelled by sails or steam or other power, or any parts of them, by the use chiefly of steam or hot water, and which arrangement I denominate The temperative heat-distributer; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descrlption of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a transverse section, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view.

A, is a tube for conveying steam or hot water to the chambers, and B, a pipe conducting ofi the condensed steam, or cooled water.

a is a series of chambers.

b is a space for the pasage of air between said chambers.

c is the interior surface of the bottom of the chambers (Fig. 1).

(Z is a tube connecting the several cham bers together, and f is the bottom of the air spaces or entrance for the cold air to the distributer.

The nature of my invention consists in giving a tapering form to radiating surfaces,* availably and compactly arranged. By applying this principle to extremely narrow chambers and air spaces, alternately repeated, I bring the air in contact with the whole" extent of heating surface and impart a current to the air heated, which it would not have without the said tapering form.

I construct my heat distributers of tin, copper, cast or wrought iron, or of any ma terial known to furnish a good radiating surface; in the form of a system of concentric cylindrical chambers, each being of the thickness of an inch more or less at the bot tom, with a slight, but gradual taper toward the top, with alternate spaces for the air, which are made to increase toward the top, by the receding of the chambers. The several chambers are united by means of pipes or tubes, so as to allow the circulation of the heating agent to pass through the entire series. I also construct them in a square form with a repetition of equally narrow chambers, laterally parallel to each other, but tapering toward the top, with alternate air spaces, and connected by tubes or transverse chambers; or, by running taper tubes through .a large chest or drum and allowing the air to pass through them, I secure a similar result. The principle can also be applied to a cylindrical chamber with sector formed interior projections or to a great number of small chambers arranged without particular reference to exterior form of the combination, so long as the tapering form is applied to compact and available arrangement which expose the surface to the air, and offer no obstruction to its circulation.

By application of the tapering principle for radiating surfaces, to my distributor, I am enabled effectually to heat the air, and keep its passage off to the desired place, unobstructed, and yet keep the air in constant contact with the surface, while passing through the heater, since air heated to the temperature of boiling water occupies above a third more space than at the freezing temperature. The air, on enterin the spaces. where they are narrowest is forced upward as it expands by the action of the heat, the tapering form not only allowing the expansion, but actually acceleratingits passage. The expansion of the air however causes the space still to be filled, so that the air still absorbs the heat; the heat, becoming latent in the air in consequence of its expansion, is resupplied by the upper surface, and thus a greater quantity of heat is taken up and thrown out (by the current imparted) in consequence of expansion and the taper surfaces. As the air thus heated and expanded is forced into the building or apartment to be heated, and comes in contact with the cold air therein, it is condensed and gives out the latent heat, which it absorbs from the heating surface. Thus is secured the most effectual heat, and the most healthy and active ventilation for, allowing the air to expand and the heat to become latent, so high a temperature is not required as would otherwise be. 7

I put my invention in operation, by introducing steam, hot water, or other known agent for heat-ing, from any boiler or heating arrangement at present known and em ployed; regulating the supply and discharge, in any manner now known. I place my heater in the apartment to be heated, and admit cold air under it, by use of pipes,

fines, or other methods now employed for supplying hot air furnaces with cold air. I put them under the floors, or under any article of furniture, in base blocks or fire places, or I expose them directly in the room, either with or without ornamental cases, employing pipes, registers and other methods now known and used for introducing cold air and discharging the Warm air. I, moreover, place them in hot air chambers, conducting cold air to them, and hot air from them by methods now known and employed.

For purposes of ventilation merely I place my heat distributer in the chimney or ventilating flue, which has its opening near the floor, and by the heat radiated, induce a draft out of the building or apartment with which it is connected, supplying the Vacancy by a counter flue, which discharges fresh air from or near to the ceiling, and which communicates with the atmosphere without,

either from above or below the place of discharge.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The application of the tapering form to radiating surfaces, constructed in the compact and available manner above described.

JOSHUA K. INGALLS. Witnesses:

WVILLIAM ENNIS, H. METGALF. 

